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Korin's Youtube Channel is Ready!

Hi everyone!
After much preparation and tips from people here, Korin's Youtube Channel is finally ready. Every Tuesday we will be releasing a new episode on products. Alex will be explaining products and types of knives, and Vincent (sharpening apprentice) will be going over sharpening basics. We're still in the process of fixing up the knife sharpening so I'm not sure when they will be released.

^^ The first episode.

I would really love some reviews and thoughts for the episodes, so I can let the web team know.

Who the people making the video are to me:

- The film guy - Zhanyi - Korin's professional photographer. I met him though a friend about 3 years ago, and though I never really got to know him pre-Korin, but I was introduced to him as the amazing photographer he is. He's quiet, kind of mysterious, quirky, and has a sweet tooth bigger than mine.

- The product review guy - Alex is Korin's showroom and customer service guy. Alex was also my manager when I worked at a Japanese bakery. He speaks Chinese and English fluently, but also understands/can speak some Japanese. He knows a lot more than he gives himself credit for. lol

- The sharpening guy - Vincent is Korin's sharpening apprentice. He goes out for demonstration to different restaurants and helps out my dad. He has known me since I was a fetus and has been a big brother figure in my life. He used to be my bully when we were younger... But oh how the tables have changed.

... This unintentionally turned into me bragging about my awesomely talented friends... But yes, they are all very dear to me.

I think this is a great idea, good luck. In my opinion, Alex needs to work on presentation skills. Watch Jon's videos. He is less animated, speaks slower and more deliberately, less body gesturing. Also the photography needs to focus more on the knife. Close ups of fit and finish, shape, taper, edge, handle construction are important to me, as well as the steel. Images should be against a background that offers little distraction and nice contrast with the knife. I would have started with a more in depth description of the knife type, compared it to other shapes, contrasted its strengths and weaknesses, and then shown several examples that differ in some way. Just my two cents. Hope to see more. Best. Eric

I have a few criticisms.
1. Togiharu hammered damascus series: He says they have a "50-50 edge." Maybe it is but I would be surprised.
2. Misono Handmade series: He says it's softer steel at 58 hrc so that you can sharpen from home. This should be deleted. Softer steel is mainly easier to machine. For the user the benefit is added toughness, preventing chipping and cracking.
3. Misono 440 series: He says it's the same steel but "reinforced with chromium and sulfur." This should be deleted. If it's the same steel, it's the same composition. Sulfur doesn't reinforce steel, anyway. If it's harder then it will retain it's edge longer as long as chipping and cracking isn't an issue. However, I don't recall the 440 series being particularly hard. I would have guess under 60 hrc. I think the UX10 is only 59-60 hrc. I am not clear on why this is a higher grade. Maybe the grind is better?
4. Misono UX10 series: He says the nickel bolster balances the knife. This should also be deleted. This bolster is a decoration, mainly. Bolsters always make the knife more handle heavy.
5. Masanobu: He says the octagonal handle is more ergonomic. This should be deleted. He also shows his wrist moving while miming the cutting motion, it should be his elbow and shoulder, instead.
6. Overall, I think he should be more consistent in the kind of information he delivers. If he is going to talk about a characteristic (hardness, stain resistance, edge, etc.) then he should rate all of the blades with respect to this characteristic.

I think this is a great idea, good luck. In my opinion, Alex needs to work on presentation skills. Watch Jon's videos. He is less animated, speaks slower and more deliberately, less body gesturing. Also the photography needs to focus more on the knife. Close ups of fit and finish, shape, taper, edge, handle construction are important to me, as well as the steel. Images should be against a background that offers little distraction and nice contrast with the knife. I would have started with a more in depth description of the knife type, compared it to other shapes, contrasted its strengths and weaknesses, and then shown several examples that differ in some way. Just my two cents. Hope to see more. Best. Eric

1. The Togiharu Hammered Damascus has a 50/50 bevel as most damascus knives do.

2. In regards to Misono products, the information Alex said is actually information from the Misono company president. The UX10 is made out of harder steel and has a better grind.

1. Do you have pictures? I've probably seen twenty plus different lines of damascus knives. I even bought one from Korin. Not a single one had a stock 50/50 bevel.
2. If you read my post again, I do not have questions about the UX10 line. I was not clear on the difference between the Handmade and 440 lines. Both lines seemed to be made of the same components at the same hardness. After checking out Korin website, the Handmade must be 56-58 hrc very soft for Japanese, the 440 is 58-59 is below average. UX10 is 59-60 which is average hardness.
3. With regard to citing the president of Misono, what information are you referring to? The soft=easy to sharpen comment? The bolster gives perfect balance? (By the way, do the pettys in this line have perfect balance?) The reinforcement due to extra chromium and sulfur in the 440 relative to the Handmade line?

1. Do you have pictures? I've probably seen twenty plus different lines of damascus knives. I even bought one from Korin. Not a single one had a stock 50/50 bevel.
2. If you read my post again, I do not have questions about the UX10 line. I was not clear on the difference between the Handmade and 440 lines. Both lines seemed to be made of the same components at the same hardness. After checking out Korin website, the Handmade must be 56-58 hrc very soft for Japanese, the 440 is 58-59 is below average. UX10 is 59-60 which is average hardness.
3. With regard to citing the president of Misono, what information are you referring to? The soft=easy to sharpen comment? The bolster gives perfect balance? (By the way, do the pettys in this line have perfect balance?) The reinforcement due to extra chromium and sulfur in the 440 relative to the Handmade line?

1. Shun, Ittosai, Kikuichi, Togiharu, the new Nenox knife, and Mac. I asked Mr. Sugai, he said that even if it doesn't look like they are 50/50, they are made 50/50. It's not always something you can figure out by just looking. I will ask more companies, just to confirm. In essence the damascus material does not cut, so these companies put the blade in the middle of the knife. Whether this is valid for non-Japanese makers, we don't know since we don't see too many of them.

2. Sorry, I will ask them to be more clear about each line.

On a different note, HRc is weird. But in short, HRc is differs by the heat a knife is forged, and for Japanese knives the craftsmen's hammering. It's also very hard to measure HRc, because they only take the measurement of one point and makers don't measure every single knife they produce. Distributors only have the information given to us by them.

3. I was referring to the bolster, because we were told thats the bolster's intent. Whether it does or not is up to question. If you don't mind, I would like to forward these questions to Misono so I can know for sure.

By the way, I didn't mean for my previous comment to sound condescending if it did. I'm really so if it came across that way.
Oh and I shipped the Togiharu G-1 chef back to you.